God, I'm getting bad about keeping up this blog. You see, I started it specifically to follow my writing of the Gatehouse series and the process of getting it published. But, well, the first two books are written... and the publishing process is S-L-O-O-O-W. There's been absolutely no motion on the novel since my last post, months ago!
So I've actually been working on a book that's not part of the Gatehouse series. Unfortunately, it's not going so well. I'm finding it difficult to write. The story doesn't move me as much as the Gatehouse, as it turns out. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it's just not as important to me as the Gatehouse. And book 3 of the Gatehouse is really wanting to get out of me, but my agent has told me to work on something different, since she can't market books 2 and 3 until book 1 sells.
I don't know what to do at this point, actually. It's not that I'm getting discouraged... I've only had a very few rejections, and the book is still under consideration by a major publisher. And I knew that the process would be slow. I just didn't know that working on something new would be so difficult.
Now, all that being said, I've also branched out and worked a bit on my comic book projects. The Ring of Auberon is currently being re-worked for entry into the Zudacomics competition ( http://www.zudacomics.com ), and if nothing happens there, will be re-worked into an actual, official pitch instead of a contest entry, and will be submitted to some places like Shadowline or Dark Horse. I've also worked up several new pitches, and am actively seeking artists to work on them.
So, that's my update. Not much going on. I wish (lord, do I wish!) that I had more to tell you folks, but like I said... publishing is slow!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Harry Potter: It's all over now
LOOONNGG post coming here!
Well, I must say, I've found it difficult to keep up a blog, or keep up with my forum posts, since going back to work. I've also been finding it difficult to write. Not difficult to know WHAT to write, just difficult to get around to it. Writing was something I was able to accomplish on breaks at work at my last job, and then... well, whenever I wanted, during my unemployment. I'm finding it hard to actually have to "schedule" time to write, and then to stick to that schedule.
So this weekend, I decided I absolutely needed a break from even worrying about it, and maybe something to spur my creativity so I would feel the urgent NEED to write. So I was definitely looking forward to the release of the final Harry Potter book.
Don't read further unless you want spoilers!
Just kidding. I wouldn't do that to you. I, along with about five million others, am a very fast reader, and finished the book in just a few hours, but I would never spoil anything for those throngs of fans out there slavering to discover all the secrets for themselves. I'll leave that to whoever those schmucks were who scanned the whole book and put it on the Internet a few days ago, or whoever it was that decided that Wikipedia needed to be IMMEDIATELY updated with every significant detail of the book! I'm just going to give my own vague impressions here, trusting that my readers (if I can be said to have "readers") actually want to experience the end of the story for themselves. So there will only be a few sentences of review here.
Before I do that, though, I just want to touch on that whole spoiler thing. Don't get me wrong, in certain circumstances, I'm not averse to spoilers. For my favorite comic books, sure, I sometimes enjoy a little advance warning about what's coming. I find it entertaining, as well as a good marketing tool for the comic companies. Oftentimes, I'll buy something based on an advance review of the comic, or spoiler pages I've read. With TV shows I'm really bad about it... I almost ALWAYS want to know what's going to happen on Smallville. Who the newest FOTW is going to be, what DC canon character is going to show up in a totally new form just for TV. But as an author... albeit an unpublished one... I sympathize with J.K. Rowling. A bunch of folks out there are saying she should just let it drop. Who cares if someone got an advance copy of her book? Or 1200 someones? Who cares if it was posted on the Internet? The fans are going to buy it anyway, it's not going to affect her bottom line.
At this point, does anyone really think Rowling cares about her bottom line? Richer than the Queen of England, people! And that's pretty rich!
She cares about the product of her work, and pleasing her fans. She cares about seeing her carefully laid plans come together, and the excitement she's managed to generate over all these years for the culmination of this story. And yes, like every other author, she gets a perverse pleasure from seeing the shock, surprise, and emotion on peoples' faces when some unexpected twist they've written sincerely moves a reader. No, I'm not saying Harry Potter is incredible, heart-stopping literature, but no one can deny that it's become a serious phenomenon all over the world. And to be honest with you, I'm a fan... I love the books. Not my favorite series, but still, I've thoroughly enjoyed every installment. And I honestly feel for the woman that this pall was placed over the proceedings for the final release at the very last moment. And if it were me, and the release of my novel (first, second, seventh, or millionth!) was coming up, I'd be mortified to find out the entire text had appeared on the Internet. Then again, judging from the fans I saw in our little town's B&N release party, no one even noticed outside the big newspapers.
Now... on to the review...
It was good. Go buy it.
Not enough?
OK. Let's see.
Without giving too much away, then...
J.K. Rowling managed to tie up just about everything, every loose end you could think of, in a nice little bow. Everything (just about) is explained. Everything makes sense in the end. And you can tell that she meticulously plotted these books out from the beginning. There were plot points and simple comments from as far back as book 1 that turned out to have far more significance to the overall story than I would have believed.
OK, so not EVERY question ever asked by a fan is answered. But some of the questions us fans can come up with are pretty... ummm... nit-picky. So let me clarify and say, every question that J.K. Rowling intended from the beginning to be important to the story, was answered.
As far as the flow of the book, and was it an enjoyable read... it flowed pretty nicely, overall, and I certainly did enjoy it. There were a few parts that dragged a bit, and a few parts that seemed just a tad repetitive, but they were things that needed to happen. You'll have that over the course of a story that takes seven books to tell. Look at Jordan's Wheel of Time series... every third or fourth book is basically just filler, to get people from here to there and set up the exciting events of the next three or four. But those slightly dragging parts weren't overpowering, and the story flowed quite well from one concept to the next.
For the writing style, this book is a very drastic change over every book prior. Each book has had a darker and darker tone, especially since Goblet of Fire. Half-Blood Prince was pretty dark all around. But this book is by far the darkest, most adult of the entire series. This is reflected in Rowling's writing style. She uses far less flowery speech, and far less humor. In fact, a lot of the sense of delight and wonder in this magical world is missing, replaced by drama, fear, and angst. But that's most certainly to be expected, and even desired, when a story has followed its main characters from childhood to adulthood during what have to be considered perilous times.
Who lives? Some people. Who dies? Some other people. That's about all I can say on that, other than to point out... well, death and loss are pretty prominent in this book. Then again, so is self-sacrifice, triumph, and celebrating life.
So, all in all... I liked it. I don't think it's the best book of the series, but it was a highly satisfying ending to the story. There were sad parts (starting less than 60 pages in), there were happy parts, there was triumph and loss, and the ending... well, read it yourselves.
Anyone else have any thoughts? On the review, or on the mini-scandal leading up to the release? Feel free to comment.
Well, I must say, I've found it difficult to keep up a blog, or keep up with my forum posts, since going back to work. I've also been finding it difficult to write. Not difficult to know WHAT to write, just difficult to get around to it. Writing was something I was able to accomplish on breaks at work at my last job, and then... well, whenever I wanted, during my unemployment. I'm finding it hard to actually have to "schedule" time to write, and then to stick to that schedule.
So this weekend, I decided I absolutely needed a break from even worrying about it, and maybe something to spur my creativity so I would feel the urgent NEED to write. So I was definitely looking forward to the release of the final Harry Potter book.
Don't read further unless you want spoilers!
Just kidding. I wouldn't do that to you. I, along with about five million others, am a very fast reader, and finished the book in just a few hours, but I would never spoil anything for those throngs of fans out there slavering to discover all the secrets for themselves. I'll leave that to whoever those schmucks were who scanned the whole book and put it on the Internet a few days ago, or whoever it was that decided that Wikipedia needed to be IMMEDIATELY updated with every significant detail of the book! I'm just going to give my own vague impressions here, trusting that my readers (if I can be said to have "readers") actually want to experience the end of the story for themselves. So there will only be a few sentences of review here.
Before I do that, though, I just want to touch on that whole spoiler thing. Don't get me wrong, in certain circumstances, I'm not averse to spoilers. For my favorite comic books, sure, I sometimes enjoy a little advance warning about what's coming. I find it entertaining, as well as a good marketing tool for the comic companies. Oftentimes, I'll buy something based on an advance review of the comic, or spoiler pages I've read. With TV shows I'm really bad about it... I almost ALWAYS want to know what's going to happen on Smallville. Who the newest FOTW is going to be, what DC canon character is going to show up in a totally new form just for TV. But as an author... albeit an unpublished one... I sympathize with J.K. Rowling. A bunch of folks out there are saying she should just let it drop. Who cares if someone got an advance copy of her book? Or 1200 someones? Who cares if it was posted on the Internet? The fans are going to buy it anyway, it's not going to affect her bottom line.
At this point, does anyone really think Rowling cares about her bottom line? Richer than the Queen of England, people! And that's pretty rich!
She cares about the product of her work, and pleasing her fans. She cares about seeing her carefully laid plans come together, and the excitement she's managed to generate over all these years for the culmination of this story. And yes, like every other author, she gets a perverse pleasure from seeing the shock, surprise, and emotion on peoples' faces when some unexpected twist they've written sincerely moves a reader. No, I'm not saying Harry Potter is incredible, heart-stopping literature, but no one can deny that it's become a serious phenomenon all over the world. And to be honest with you, I'm a fan... I love the books. Not my favorite series, but still, I've thoroughly enjoyed every installment. And I honestly feel for the woman that this pall was placed over the proceedings for the final release at the very last moment. And if it were me, and the release of my novel (first, second, seventh, or millionth!) was coming up, I'd be mortified to find out the entire text had appeared on the Internet. Then again, judging from the fans I saw in our little town's B&N release party, no one even noticed outside the big newspapers.
Now... on to the review...
It was good. Go buy it.
Not enough?
OK. Let's see.
Without giving too much away, then...
J.K. Rowling managed to tie up just about everything, every loose end you could think of, in a nice little bow. Everything (just about) is explained. Everything makes sense in the end. And you can tell that she meticulously plotted these books out from the beginning. There were plot points and simple comments from as far back as book 1 that turned out to have far more significance to the overall story than I would have believed.
OK, so not EVERY question ever asked by a fan is answered. But some of the questions us fans can come up with are pretty... ummm... nit-picky. So let me clarify and say, every question that J.K. Rowling intended from the beginning to be important to the story, was answered.
As far as the flow of the book, and was it an enjoyable read... it flowed pretty nicely, overall, and I certainly did enjoy it. There were a few parts that dragged a bit, and a few parts that seemed just a tad repetitive, but they were things that needed to happen. You'll have that over the course of a story that takes seven books to tell. Look at Jordan's Wheel of Time series... every third or fourth book is basically just filler, to get people from here to there and set up the exciting events of the next three or four. But those slightly dragging parts weren't overpowering, and the story flowed quite well from one concept to the next.
For the writing style, this book is a very drastic change over every book prior. Each book has had a darker and darker tone, especially since Goblet of Fire. Half-Blood Prince was pretty dark all around. But this book is by far the darkest, most adult of the entire series. This is reflected in Rowling's writing style. She uses far less flowery speech, and far less humor. In fact, a lot of the sense of delight and wonder in this magical world is missing, replaced by drama, fear, and angst. But that's most certainly to be expected, and even desired, when a story has followed its main characters from childhood to adulthood during what have to be considered perilous times.
Who lives? Some people. Who dies? Some other people. That's about all I can say on that, other than to point out... well, death and loss are pretty prominent in this book. Then again, so is self-sacrifice, triumph, and celebrating life.
So, all in all... I liked it. I don't think it's the best book of the series, but it was a highly satisfying ending to the story. There were sad parts (starting less than 60 pages in), there were happy parts, there was triumph and loss, and the ending... well, read it yourselves.
Anyone else have any thoughts? On the review, or on the mini-scandal leading up to the release? Feel free to comment.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Lordy, lordy, it's been a while.
Hey, folks... wow, it's been more than a week since my last post! Sorry for the delays... I've been busy busy busy!
Started my new job. I'm loving it so far... I like the location, the plant site, the guys I'm working with, and the job itself. It's less than ten minutes from my house! What could be better?
And oh, lest I forget (which I can't, because I'm obsessed at the moment...), the comic book challenge entry is DONE!!! And entered! And looks GREAT! The artist, Erick Marquez, really outdid himself. I can't sing this guy's praises enough... he did an amazing job bringing the characters and scenes I gave him to life. You can find our entry page in any of these locations:
http://lh5.google.com/image/RingOfAuberon/RmCylgpuTjI/AAAAAAAAAEA/zcCWo7S-G6U/RingOfAuberon.jpg?imgmax=512
http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon
http://www.drunkduck.com/The_Ring_of_Auberon/
Still no word from my agent... she's been in NYC for about a week, pitching my novels. I hope to hear something soon, either while she's still there or when she gets back. Fingers still crossed!
So anyway, sorry for the recent absence. I'll be sure to post more in the future.
Started my new job. I'm loving it so far... I like the location, the plant site, the guys I'm working with, and the job itself. It's less than ten minutes from my house! What could be better?
And oh, lest I forget (which I can't, because I'm obsessed at the moment...), the comic book challenge entry is DONE!!! And entered! And looks GREAT! The artist, Erick Marquez, really outdid himself. I can't sing this guy's praises enough... he did an amazing job bringing the characters and scenes I gave him to life. You can find our entry page in any of these locations:
http://lh5.google.com/image/RingOfAuberon/RmCylgpuTjI/AAAAAAAAAEA/zcCWo7S-G6U/RingOfAuberon.jpg?imgmax=512
http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon
http://www.drunkduck.com/The_Ring_of_Auberon/
Still no word from my agent... she's been in NYC for about a week, pitching my novels. I hope to hear something soon, either while she's still there or when she gets back. Fingers still crossed!
So anyway, sorry for the recent absence. I'll be sure to post more in the future.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Sparse Blogging Lately
Well, I've been falling behind on my blogging chores lately. I have no excuse aside from general busy-ness.
The Ring of Auberon comic is coming along. More art has been posted on the MySpace site http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon if anyone is interested. The page we're entering has been completely penciled now, and partially inked. Color should be coming soon as well, and then it's back to me for lettering. 8 days til the deadline... getting nervous! However, on a positive note, I have scripted pretty much the entire first issue. It needs some tweaking, but the general idea of it is down. So, once we enter the contest, the plan is to really get moving on the art so that we can have a solid pitch to make assuming we're in the top 50.
The novel front is also still moving forward. My agent should be in NYC as we speak. I hope to hear back from her soon about how her trip went. With as many pitches for me as she's planning to make, I'm hoping one or two connect. I'll update you on that as soon as I have any more info.
And finally, I have a start date for my new job! Yay! Next Wednesday... the day before the Comic Book Challenge deadline... yipes! That means I'm going to have to really bust my butt, use up all my free time, once I have those completed pages. I'm very excited about the job, though. I've been trying to get on in computer services at this plant for a LONG time. It's so close to home, pays so well, and hopefully will be a stable enough job that I'll be able to really set down some roots again.
School's almost out... meaning my son will be heading to his mom's house for the summer very soon. I'm of two minds on the subject. A summer off from the responsibilities of being a single dad is looking kind of nice... but two and a half months without my son isn't really looking so nice. Ah, well... I've endured it before, I can endure it again.
So that's what's been going on. Busy, busy!
Oh, also... check out our dedicated MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon as well as our Picasa website at under the username RingOfAuberon. Thanks for the interest, and we hope we get your vote in the challenge!
The Ring of Auberon comic is coming along. More art has been posted on the MySpace site http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon if anyone is interested. The page we're entering has been completely penciled now, and partially inked. Color should be coming soon as well, and then it's back to me for lettering. 8 days til the deadline... getting nervous! However, on a positive note, I have scripted pretty much the entire first issue. It needs some tweaking, but the general idea of it is down. So, once we enter the contest, the plan is to really get moving on the art so that we can have a solid pitch to make assuming we're in the top 50.
The novel front is also still moving forward. My agent should be in NYC as we speak. I hope to hear back from her soon about how her trip went. With as many pitches for me as she's planning to make, I'm hoping one or two connect. I'll update you on that as soon as I have any more info.
And finally, I have a start date for my new job! Yay! Next Wednesday... the day before the Comic Book Challenge deadline... yipes! That means I'm going to have to really bust my butt, use up all my free time, once I have those completed pages. I'm very excited about the job, though. I've been trying to get on in computer services at this plant for a LONG time. It's so close to home, pays so well, and hopefully will be a stable enough job that I'll be able to really set down some roots again.
School's almost out... meaning my son will be heading to his mom's house for the summer very soon. I'm of two minds on the subject. A summer off from the responsibilities of being a single dad is looking kind of nice... but two and a half months without my son isn't really looking so nice. Ah, well... I've endured it before, I can endure it again.
So that's what's been going on. Busy, busy!
Oh, also... check out our dedicated MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon as well as our Picasa website at under the username RingOfAuberon. Thanks for the interest, and we hope we get your vote in the challenge!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Comic Book Challenge 2007: The Ring of Auberon
Well, I think it's time to start showing off some of the work we've done on the Ring of Auberon comic book pitch. I've put quite a few of the preliminary sketch work done by the artist up on my pics page, so check them out. I've also started a totally new MySpace page which will be our forum for posting new artwork, story synopsis, all that sort of thing. We'll have sample pages available soon, as well. So check it out, and tell all your friends about it! When the contest rolls around, assuming we make it past the preliminary rounds, the public gets to vote on their favorite... so we're going to need you!
The dedicated MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon
The dedicated MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/ringofauberon
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Keeping Things Moving
Well, things are moving forward in several areas of writing for me.
First off, I've still been polishing the script for the Ring of Auberon. It's going great, and I'm beyond excited about it. The artist for the project is working on the excerpt page for the competition. And beyond that, my agent has said that if we don't win the contest, she would like to take a look at the project and possibly represent us in finding a publisher.
Secondly, my second pitch for the contest may be going forward after all. A very talented artist I met on MySpace, who was too busy before to work with me, has decided that he can possibly help me out. I'm working on a script page for him, trying to make it an exciting scene, and he's going to try and get it inked before the deadline. So if we can make it in time, I'll be involved in two collaborations for the competition!
And finally, my agent is getting ready to go on a trip to NYC to pitch projects face to face with several editors. She's made a lot of appointments with some of the major houses, and has already had a few requests for advance copies of The Gatehouse book 1 so they can familiarize themselves with it before she meets with them. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty promising to me!
So things are looking up on the publishing front. I'm pretty hopeful some good news will filter back to me soon.
On a totally unrelated note, I'm still waiting on an official start date for my new job. Why is it that these background checks take so long? There's nothing to show up on it... are they digging back to my elementary school days or something? I've never been arrested, never been in jail, never been accused or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, never so much as tried illegal drugs... I've only ever gotten one speeding ticket in my whole life! What's the deal?
First off, I've still been polishing the script for the Ring of Auberon. It's going great, and I'm beyond excited about it. The artist for the project is working on the excerpt page for the competition. And beyond that, my agent has said that if we don't win the contest, she would like to take a look at the project and possibly represent us in finding a publisher.
Secondly, my second pitch for the contest may be going forward after all. A very talented artist I met on MySpace, who was too busy before to work with me, has decided that he can possibly help me out. I'm working on a script page for him, trying to make it an exciting scene, and he's going to try and get it inked before the deadline. So if we can make it in time, I'll be involved in two collaborations for the competition!
And finally, my agent is getting ready to go on a trip to NYC to pitch projects face to face with several editors. She's made a lot of appointments with some of the major houses, and has already had a few requests for advance copies of The Gatehouse book 1 so they can familiarize themselves with it before she meets with them. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty promising to me!
So things are looking up on the publishing front. I'm pretty hopeful some good news will filter back to me soon.
On a totally unrelated note, I'm still waiting on an official start date for my new job. Why is it that these background checks take so long? There's nothing to show up on it... are they digging back to my elementary school days or something? I've never been arrested, never been in jail, never been accused or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, never so much as tried illegal drugs... I've only ever gotten one speeding ticket in my whole life! What's the deal?
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Strange week
So... it looks like I won't be doing the technology refresh in Evansville after all. You see, my drug test was fine, of course, but the background check was delayed... and then delayed some more... and then some more. For some reason, they couldn't get all the information they needed, and kept putting off my start date.
So then, Thursday of this week, I get a call out of the blue from a recruiter that has a job opening right here in Mount Vernon for the largest employer in town. It's for a PC break fix technician. The pay is only a bit less than the technology refresh, but it's a 3-month-to-direct-hire position as opposed to a temp position. It's also maybe ten minutes from my house. AND after 3 months, there's a full benefits package.
So, no brainer... I said sure, I'll interview. The company called me up that afternoon, very interested, and gave me a phone interview. I talked to the recruiter about an hour later, and was offered the job. I'd still heard nothing back about my background check at the other place, so I only had to think about it for a few minutes... I said absolutely, I'll take it.
Well, Friday I got a call from the other company. My background check was complete, and they were ready for me to start on Monday. I gave the recruiter the bad news, that I had accepted a position with another company, and explained why it was a better opportunity.
And he was TICKED. Big time. He told me I should have informed him that I was interviewing for other positions, and that it was unprofessional. He told me that they'd put a lot into getting me that position, and that I shouldn't have told him I'd take it if I were considering other offers. Basically, he tried to bully me into changing my mind and working with them.
At that point, I stopped the guy and explained to him that I had NOT been interviewing with other companies at the time I'd accepted the job. In fact, if I'd been able to start on the day I was supposed to... 4 days before... then it wouldn't have been an issue. I explained that it was a very sudden thing, that I'd gotten the call about the job and gotten the job offer in the space of two hours, and that I would probably not have taken it if I'd already been working for them. (That wasn't necessarily true... it's a GOOD opportunity.) Regardless, I told him that there was nothing underhanded going on, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Well, he calmed down a little bit at that point, but he was still pretty ticked off. He made it clear to me that his company, and the company he represented, would not work with me in the future if I happened to be looking for a job again.
So I'm a little upset about the whole deal. Here I am, out of work, out of money, and I'm supposed to wait indefinitely while they keep pushing back my start date even if a better offer comes along? I think not! But it bothers me a lot that I've now got the label of "undependable", at least with one contract company out there. That's a bad thing, since the kind of work I do is almost always handled by contractors these days.
But what was I supposed to do? This new offer was from a place where I've been trying to get on for years. It's hard to get your foot in the door out there, and I couldn't pass up this chance now. This is the kind of company that people retire from, not the kind where they work for a few years and then move on.
Ah, well. Hard choice to have to live with, but an easy one to make, I suppose.
OK, rant over. Now let's talk about writing.
I've been scripting and synopsizing like mad for the Comic Book Challenge. I never did find an artist for the second pitch I had in mind, which is too bad, because it would have been a good one. But the artist I'm working with on the fantasy pitch is very talented, and he's got a great feel for where I'm going with the story. I'm really looking forward to working with him. So far, I've sent him two script pages, one from early on in the story and another from the climactic moment. I've also scripted out about ten other pages, working in order from the beginning. The story is coming along nicely, and I think it's something that will appeal to a lot of readers. So wish us luck! And stay tuned... if we make it to the finals, we're going to need all of your votes!
So then, Thursday of this week, I get a call out of the blue from a recruiter that has a job opening right here in Mount Vernon for the largest employer in town. It's for a PC break fix technician. The pay is only a bit less than the technology refresh, but it's a 3-month-to-direct-hire position as opposed to a temp position. It's also maybe ten minutes from my house. AND after 3 months, there's a full benefits package.
So, no brainer... I said sure, I'll interview. The company called me up that afternoon, very interested, and gave me a phone interview. I talked to the recruiter about an hour later, and was offered the job. I'd still heard nothing back about my background check at the other place, so I only had to think about it for a few minutes... I said absolutely, I'll take it.
Well, Friday I got a call from the other company. My background check was complete, and they were ready for me to start on Monday. I gave the recruiter the bad news, that I had accepted a position with another company, and explained why it was a better opportunity.
And he was TICKED. Big time. He told me I should have informed him that I was interviewing for other positions, and that it was unprofessional. He told me that they'd put a lot into getting me that position, and that I shouldn't have told him I'd take it if I were considering other offers. Basically, he tried to bully me into changing my mind and working with them.
At that point, I stopped the guy and explained to him that I had NOT been interviewing with other companies at the time I'd accepted the job. In fact, if I'd been able to start on the day I was supposed to... 4 days before... then it wouldn't have been an issue. I explained that it was a very sudden thing, that I'd gotten the call about the job and gotten the job offer in the space of two hours, and that I would probably not have taken it if I'd already been working for them. (That wasn't necessarily true... it's a GOOD opportunity.) Regardless, I told him that there was nothing underhanded going on, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Well, he calmed down a little bit at that point, but he was still pretty ticked off. He made it clear to me that his company, and the company he represented, would not work with me in the future if I happened to be looking for a job again.
So I'm a little upset about the whole deal. Here I am, out of work, out of money, and I'm supposed to wait indefinitely while they keep pushing back my start date even if a better offer comes along? I think not! But it bothers me a lot that I've now got the label of "undependable", at least with one contract company out there. That's a bad thing, since the kind of work I do is almost always handled by contractors these days.
But what was I supposed to do? This new offer was from a place where I've been trying to get on for years. It's hard to get your foot in the door out there, and I couldn't pass up this chance now. This is the kind of company that people retire from, not the kind where they work for a few years and then move on.
Ah, well. Hard choice to have to live with, but an easy one to make, I suppose.
OK, rant over. Now let's talk about writing.
I've been scripting and synopsizing like mad for the Comic Book Challenge. I never did find an artist for the second pitch I had in mind, which is too bad, because it would have been a good one. But the artist I'm working with on the fantasy pitch is very talented, and he's got a great feel for where I'm going with the story. I'm really looking forward to working with him. So far, I've sent him two script pages, one from early on in the story and another from the climactic moment. I've also scripted out about ten other pages, working in order from the beginning. The story is coming along nicely, and I think it's something that will appeal to a lot of readers. So wish us luck! And stay tuned... if we make it to the finals, we're going to need all of your votes!
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Yay me.
Well, there's going to be a new impediment to my writng career. I got the job.
I'll be a contractor involved with a PC technology refresh for one of the area hospitals. Basically, I'll be checking out the old equipment, determining if it meets the criteria to need replacement, and then determining the needs of the user for their new computer system. After new equipment is ordered, I'll be setting up the new PC, delivering to the user, and giving basic instruction in use.
OK, so it's not glamorous. Kind of baby steps compared to what I'm used to. But I'm more than qualified for it, and it pays better than my last job, even if it is a short term contract. No benefits, but eh, I'm healthy right now.
But I absolutely refuse to let this interfere with my writing. Yeah, I'll be busy during the day, but I'll have time in the evenings... on weekends... lunch breaks... whatever. I wrote my first book while working a full time job. I can do it again. It'll even give me motivation. ;-)
So congratulate me. I'll finally be getting a paycheck again.
I'll be a contractor involved with a PC technology refresh for one of the area hospitals. Basically, I'll be checking out the old equipment, determining if it meets the criteria to need replacement, and then determining the needs of the user for their new computer system. After new equipment is ordered, I'll be setting up the new PC, delivering to the user, and giving basic instruction in use.
OK, so it's not glamorous. Kind of baby steps compared to what I'm used to. But I'm more than qualified for it, and it pays better than my last job, even if it is a short term contract. No benefits, but eh, I'm healthy right now.
But I absolutely refuse to let this interfere with my writing. Yeah, I'll be busy during the day, but I'll have time in the evenings... on weekends... lunch breaks... whatever. I wrote my first book while working a full time job. I can do it again. It'll even give me motivation. ;-)
So congratulate me. I'll finally be getting a paycheck again.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Life Update
You know, MySpace is really getting on my nerves. Sometimes it takes me half an hour to get a blog posted there. I keep getting "Sorry, an unexpected error has occurred". Some days, I can't get a blog to post at all! But I have quite a few dedicated readers over there, and I'm in several writers and comic creator groups, so I don't want to just abandon it as a forum. (sigh)
Ah, well. Enough ranting.
Things are going well here. I've finally got a handle on the revisions my agent asked for (except for that pesky prologue, which I can't help it... I don't agree with her on that!). So book 2 is moving ahead, with several changes made. I'm now going through the methodical process of making sure the changes I made are reflected later in the book. It'd be embarrassing if in Chapter 7 I were to reference an occurrence from Chapter 2, and have that occurrence no longer be there. It's time consuming, but it's coming along.
I'm still in the process of synopsizing and outlining my comic book pitch, and I'm pretty certain that I've found an artist I want to work with... on ONE of the pitches. For some reason, other folks who have contacted me have yet to send me sketches or character concepts. I figure they just have too much stuff going on in their own lives to have the time to get to it, even if they're excited about it. Problem is, there's a deadline that's only a month away, and I NEED to find the right artist for my second pitch if I want to get both of them entered.
I have a job interview tomorrow for a short term contract. I'm pretty confident I'll get it. I'm almost perfectly qualified for it. It's only three months, but the pay is quite good, so I've got my fingers crossed. Wish me luck, everyone!
Ah, well. Enough ranting.
Things are going well here. I've finally got a handle on the revisions my agent asked for (except for that pesky prologue, which I can't help it... I don't agree with her on that!). So book 2 is moving ahead, with several changes made. I'm now going through the methodical process of making sure the changes I made are reflected later in the book. It'd be embarrassing if in Chapter 7 I were to reference an occurrence from Chapter 2, and have that occurrence no longer be there. It's time consuming, but it's coming along.
I'm still in the process of synopsizing and outlining my comic book pitch, and I'm pretty certain that I've found an artist I want to work with... on ONE of the pitches. For some reason, other folks who have contacted me have yet to send me sketches or character concepts. I figure they just have too much stuff going on in their own lives to have the time to get to it, even if they're excited about it. Problem is, there's a deadline that's only a month away, and I NEED to find the right artist for my second pitch if I want to get both of them entered.
I have a job interview tomorrow for a short term contract. I'm pretty confident I'll get it. I'm almost perfectly qualified for it. It's only three months, but the pay is quite good, so I've got my fingers crossed. Wish me luck, everyone!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Comics, and Novels, and Stories... Oh, My!
Well, things are moving along on the comic ideas I've had. I'm working with one artist on character concepts for the dark fantasy, and am 90% certain I'll be working with him all the way through to the contest. I've been approached several other artists, waiting to hear back from them with some sketches, and hopefully will find an artist for the second pitch soon. Meantime, I'm outlining and synopsizing and scripting my way to complete stories for the artists to draw, on the off chance we actually win the contest on one of these pitches.
On the novel home front, my revisions for book 2 have been on a backburner for a little while as my concentration has been directed toward the comic pitches. I started some work today on revising, with the idea that having stepped away from the project for a little while, I'd have a better perspective. However, after printing out the book, I began reading through and looking for changes to make... and I found myself drawn into the story. My OWN STORY! How often does that happen to a writer? I know that on my first novel, and on every short story I've ever written, I can usually look back on the and feel pride, but very rarely do my own writings draw me in as if I were a reader instead. I can read my own work, and see both flaws and strengths, but this book is different. It was like reading an old favorite novel, instead of like critiquing my own work. I have to admit, it makes it difficult to find places to revise as my agent has suggested... but I LOVE this book! Not just as a writer, but as a reader. Regardless... I have to go murder a bunch of my darlings, and in many places replace them with new darlings, to please my agent.
And short stories... oh, my! All of my short story work has dropped by the wayside. I have mutiple projects that I had been outlining (one of which got turned into the dark fantasy comic pitch), but I haven't done any work on them in a couple of weeks or more. Short stories are often considered the true test of a talented author... and it seems I've let those particular skills desert me lately. Ah, well... there's plenty of time for that, I suppose. I shouldn't stretch myself too thin. I should concentrate on the things I already have an agent for, and the things where other people (artists) are likely going to be depending on me to do my part.
And last, but not least... I'm broke. I need a job BADLY. I've been looking, and I've been interviewing, but nothing has solidified. I've even been contacted by multiple recruiters and contract agencies based on my resume and qualifications, and they all seem excited about working with me, but none of them has turned into a job yet. It's driving me crazy. I'm not just a little broke... I'm BROKE broke. As in, have to borrow money for my son's school lunches broke. As in, going to be lacking in certain creature comforts like electricity, water, and shelter broke, unless I can come up with some way to make some money. It's not that I'm lazy, it's not that I'm unqualified... it's just that there are only a few things that I know how to do that can earn me enough to live on, and I can't seem to find anyone who wants to pay me to do them. It's getting frustrating.
That's enough about my personal life... I'm sure that's not what you're here to read about. I just throw it in there because it's yet another of the examples of real life intruding on my writing time and my frame of mind.
On the novel home front, my revisions for book 2 have been on a backburner for a little while as my concentration has been directed toward the comic pitches. I started some work today on revising, with the idea that having stepped away from the project for a little while, I'd have a better perspective. However, after printing out the book, I began reading through and looking for changes to make... and I found myself drawn into the story. My OWN STORY! How often does that happen to a writer? I know that on my first novel, and on every short story I've ever written, I can usually look back on the and feel pride, but very rarely do my own writings draw me in as if I were a reader instead. I can read my own work, and see both flaws and strengths, but this book is different. It was like reading an old favorite novel, instead of like critiquing my own work. I have to admit, it makes it difficult to find places to revise as my agent has suggested... but I LOVE this book! Not just as a writer, but as a reader. Regardless... I have to go murder a bunch of my darlings, and in many places replace them with new darlings, to please my agent.
And short stories... oh, my! All of my short story work has dropped by the wayside. I have mutiple projects that I had been outlining (one of which got turned into the dark fantasy comic pitch), but I haven't done any work on them in a couple of weeks or more. Short stories are often considered the true test of a talented author... and it seems I've let those particular skills desert me lately. Ah, well... there's plenty of time for that, I suppose. I shouldn't stretch myself too thin. I should concentrate on the things I already have an agent for, and the things where other people (artists) are likely going to be depending on me to do my part.
And last, but not least... I'm broke. I need a job BADLY. I've been looking, and I've been interviewing, but nothing has solidified. I've even been contacted by multiple recruiters and contract agencies based on my resume and qualifications, and they all seem excited about working with me, but none of them has turned into a job yet. It's driving me crazy. I'm not just a little broke... I'm BROKE broke. As in, have to borrow money for my son's school lunches broke. As in, going to be lacking in certain creature comforts like electricity, water, and shelter broke, unless I can come up with some way to make some money. It's not that I'm lazy, it's not that I'm unqualified... it's just that there are only a few things that I know how to do that can earn me enough to live on, and I can't seem to find anyone who wants to pay me to do them. It's getting frustrating.
That's enough about my personal life... I'm sure that's not what you're here to read about. I just throw it in there because it's yet another of the examples of real life intruding on my writing time and my frame of mind.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Good responses so far
I've received quite a few good responses from my request for artists. I have to say, I appreciate it, and I'm glad I've been able to create a little buzz.
As of yet, I've not cemented any arrangement to work with anyone. I'm waiting for preliminary sketches of a couple of my character outlines from several folks, hoping to find one (or more) who "gets" my concept and is excited about the project.
For anyone who's interested, what the contest requires is a page of story concept from the writer and a page of art from the artist. My understanding is that these could take several forms. A synopsis of the story, or a page of script, or character outlines and a general story concept from the writer. A page of character sketches, a page of finished character concept drawings, or a finished comic book page with or without letters from the artist. If I'm understanding the contest right, they'll look at these and narrow it down to fifty semi-finalists who will travel to California with more work to pitch to the judges there. I'm assuming this will be anything up to and including a full comic book ready to be sent to the printer. These fifty will be narrowed down to three, which will be posted on the web and judged by the public.
I'm working on two separate story pitches. One is a dark fantasy interacting with modern characters. There will be characters as wide ranging as Auberon/The Erl King, Titania/The Witch Queen, and Puck to more normal characters like Detective Jeff Mabry, Cassandra O'Neill, and Gustav "Gus" Stratman. If it works out the way I want, it will be interesting and fun to read on a "Strange Tales" or "Tales From The Crypt" level, and it will be graphically interesting, both dark and sinister and light and cheerful depending on the scene's setting or characters focused on.
The other pitch is a fairly standard reluctant superhero story, with a twist. There won't be any tights or secret identities, although the reluctant hero will act behind the scenes and in secret. He's basically a troubled teen, slacker, gets in trouble all the time, and suddenly finds himself gifted with superpowers. He uncovers a terrorist plot, and must try and convince the authorities of it or try and stop it himself. His only friend is a comic book geek from school who idolizes him for his rebellious ways. His friend will be the one urging him on to use his powers as a superhero, and our hero will resist as much as he can.
That's basically it. I'm excited about both of them, and honestly think that with the right art, both of them have a shot at winning. However, I must admit to being far more intrigued by the dark fantasy idea.
So what's anyone think? Do either of those sound interesting for a graphic format? With the right art, would you read a book based on either of those premises?
As of yet, I've not cemented any arrangement to work with anyone. I'm waiting for preliminary sketches of a couple of my character outlines from several folks, hoping to find one (or more) who "gets" my concept and is excited about the project.
For anyone who's interested, what the contest requires is a page of story concept from the writer and a page of art from the artist. My understanding is that these could take several forms. A synopsis of the story, or a page of script, or character outlines and a general story concept from the writer. A page of character sketches, a page of finished character concept drawings, or a finished comic book page with or without letters from the artist. If I'm understanding the contest right, they'll look at these and narrow it down to fifty semi-finalists who will travel to California with more work to pitch to the judges there. I'm assuming this will be anything up to and including a full comic book ready to be sent to the printer. These fifty will be narrowed down to three, which will be posted on the web and judged by the public.
I'm working on two separate story pitches. One is a dark fantasy interacting with modern characters. There will be characters as wide ranging as Auberon/The Erl King, Titania/The Witch Queen, and Puck to more normal characters like Detective Jeff Mabry, Cassandra O'Neill, and Gustav "Gus" Stratman. If it works out the way I want, it will be interesting and fun to read on a "Strange Tales" or "Tales From The Crypt" level, and it will be graphically interesting, both dark and sinister and light and cheerful depending on the scene's setting or characters focused on.
The other pitch is a fairly standard reluctant superhero story, with a twist. There won't be any tights or secret identities, although the reluctant hero will act behind the scenes and in secret. He's basically a troubled teen, slacker, gets in trouble all the time, and suddenly finds himself gifted with superpowers. He uncovers a terrorist plot, and must try and convince the authorities of it or try and stop it himself. His only friend is a comic book geek from school who idolizes him for his rebellious ways. His friend will be the one urging him on to use his powers as a superhero, and our hero will resist as much as he can.
That's basically it. I'm excited about both of them, and honestly think that with the right art, both of them have a shot at winning. However, I must admit to being far more intrigued by the dark fantasy idea.
So what's anyone think? Do either of those sound interesting for a graphic format? With the right art, would you read a book based on either of those premises?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Comic Book Challenge coming FAST!
I just read the info on the blog of the previous winner of the Comic Book Challenge ( http://yirmumah.net/comic-book-challenge-2-details/ ), although it's not been updated on the official contest website yet. Here's what he had to say:
"Submissions will be open from 12am May 1st to 11:59pm May 31st. People will need to submit a one-page paragraph and one completed page of art, showing what their plan for the overall book is. Submitters should have an art team selected and in place, ready to commence production on the book as soon as the winner is chosen."
Now, here's what I have to say: HELP!!!!!
I can't draw. Don't get me wrong, I have a slight bit of talent in the area. But it's in COPYING, not orignal artwork! I can do rough drawings of other people's work, or even from photos, but I can't produce original work from my own head! I need an artist to collaborate with me. I have pitches that I'm working on. But if I can't find an artist, I'll be stuck with sending in a page of stick figures! Which the contest guidelines say is acceptable, but really, does someone who does that have any shot at winning? I think not.
So if you're a talented illustrator... if you've always wanted to break into the comic book industry... if you KNOW anyone who fits either of those criteria... if your cousin's second wife's thirteen year old daughter is an artistic prodigy with a comic-book bent... LET ME KNOW! Put me in touch! I've got a month and a half to find an artist that I mesh with, who likes my pitch and wants to be part of this. Not even a month and a half, considering the artist will need a full page or more of illustrations by the end of May!
HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!
"Submissions will be open from 12am May 1st to 11:59pm May 31st. People will need to submit a one-page paragraph and one completed page of art, showing what their plan for the overall book is. Submitters should have an art team selected and in place, ready to commence production on the book as soon as the winner is chosen."
Now, here's what I have to say: HELP!!!!!
I can't draw. Don't get me wrong, I have a slight bit of talent in the area. But it's in COPYING, not orignal artwork! I can do rough drawings of other people's work, or even from photos, but I can't produce original work from my own head! I need an artist to collaborate with me. I have pitches that I'm working on. But if I can't find an artist, I'll be stuck with sending in a page of stick figures! Which the contest guidelines say is acceptable, but really, does someone who does that have any shot at winning? I think not.
So if you're a talented illustrator... if you've always wanted to break into the comic book industry... if you KNOW anyone who fits either of those criteria... if your cousin's second wife's thirteen year old daughter is an artistic prodigy with a comic-book bent... LET ME KNOW! Put me in touch! I've got a month and a half to find an artist that I mesh with, who likes my pitch and wants to be part of this. Not even a month and a half, considering the artist will need a full page or more of illustrations by the end of May!
HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Inspiration while seated on a throne
I've discovered that one of the best places to get inspiration is in the bathroom. Whether it be in the shower, an extended stay on the throne, whatever, something about the cosmic vibrations in the average bathroom stimulate the mind. That's one reason my laptop, or at least a notebook and paper, go with me almost wherever I go. No, not into the bathroom. But they're never far away for those times I have a brainstorm and need to write something down or type a quick outline for an idea.
Case in point: Book 2. I've been working on the revisions for the first chapter of my second book, and tossing around some ideas that would work, but weren't really all that pleasing to me. Then, while seated on that majestic porcelain throne, inspiration struck. The problem with the opening chapter was with character development of the two main characters in the scene, and an unbelievable plot leap that my agent just couldn't accept. So I realized that part of the problem is that the opening to the scene is the epilogue to the first book. Other than the whole cliffhanger aspect, making people who read the first book want to pick up the second one, there's really no reason to split it up like that. Moving the epilogue from book 1 to the first chapter of book 2 allows for the character development that my agent felt was lacking. In addition, I also came up with a solution to the plot leap that fixes the problem and yet still allows our two heroes to be thrown into the same situation as they were in the original version... which is where I need them.
So things are moving along. I still haven't figured out what to do about the prologue, but I'm moving along on chapter one. Once I have that put together, it'll be time to go back and tackle the prologue and hope I can figure out what to do with it.
Maybe I should go visit the throne again and see what I can come up with.
Case in point: Book 2. I've been working on the revisions for the first chapter of my second book, and tossing around some ideas that would work, but weren't really all that pleasing to me. Then, while seated on that majestic porcelain throne, inspiration struck. The problem with the opening chapter was with character development of the two main characters in the scene, and an unbelievable plot leap that my agent just couldn't accept. So I realized that part of the problem is that the opening to the scene is the epilogue to the first book. Other than the whole cliffhanger aspect, making people who read the first book want to pick up the second one, there's really no reason to split it up like that. Moving the epilogue from book 1 to the first chapter of book 2 allows for the character development that my agent felt was lacking. In addition, I also came up with a solution to the plot leap that fixes the problem and yet still allows our two heroes to be thrown into the same situation as they were in the original version... which is where I need them.
So things are moving along. I still haven't figured out what to do about the prologue, but I'm moving along on chapter one. Once I have that put together, it'll be time to go back and tackle the prologue and hope I can figure out what to do with it.
Maybe I should go visit the throne again and see what I can come up with.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Today's Job Interview
That went well.
My interview today was with New Harmony Public Schools. The position they advertised was vague; I thought it was for a PC technician. What they actually want is a Technology Coordinator. And guess what? That's a good next step for me!
The interview was good. I spoke with the principal of the school and the superintendant. The interview lasted a full hour. They were impressed with my resume and qualifications, liked my skills, and seemed to genuinely like my personality and background. They went to great lengths to describe their current situation (they have a teacher who has been handling the duties part time) and their current configuration and potential changes they'd like to make. They asked me about what I would do in certain situations, and seemed pleased with my answers. They asked about my hobbies and interests, and were surprised to hear that I'd been writing fiction novels. The principal was also pleased that I have an interest in vocal music performance, because that is his background as well.
All in all, it went really well, and I think the were impressed. They're still interviewing, of course, so I won't know anything for a week or two. But I found the interview to be encouraging.
My interview today was with New Harmony Public Schools. The position they advertised was vague; I thought it was for a PC technician. What they actually want is a Technology Coordinator. And guess what? That's a good next step for me!
The interview was good. I spoke with the principal of the school and the superintendant. The interview lasted a full hour. They were impressed with my resume and qualifications, liked my skills, and seemed to genuinely like my personality and background. They went to great lengths to describe their current situation (they have a teacher who has been handling the duties part time) and their current configuration and potential changes they'd like to make. They asked me about what I would do in certain situations, and seemed pleased with my answers. They asked about my hobbies and interests, and were surprised to hear that I'd been writing fiction novels. The principal was also pleased that I have an interest in vocal music performance, because that is his background as well.
All in all, it went really well, and I think the were impressed. They're still interviewing, of course, so I won't know anything for a week or two. But I found the interview to be encouraging.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
My little darlings won't go down without a fight!
Kicking and Screaming
I'm telling you, revising sucks rocks. If you read my blog regularly, you know my agent gave me a moderately brutal appraisal of the opening of my second novel, and I've been working on addressing the issues she identified. So far, I'm stuck on the prologue. In her opinion, it needs to be "edgier", and there's too much internal monologue going on. So I've re-written it now FIVE TIMES with no success. One attempt was even to throw away what I'd written altogether, and just keep the basic premise ad write something dark and edgy. Each time, it's been given to my first readers, and come back marked up as unacceptable. Everyone (except my agent) seems to think that my first draft is great the way it is, and that it doesn't need anything done to it. It's been driving me so crazy that I haven't even been able to address the other concerns she gave me, which seem more valid and probably easier to fix.
How do I resolve this? How do I fix something that one person out of seven has told me needs fixing? How do I find a middle ground between keeping myself happy, my first readers happy, and my agent happy? My agent has to be happy, because she has to love my books in order to sell them. But I have to be happy, too, or else why write?
Suffice it to say, I'm starting to grow frustrated with these initial revisions. Again.
On a side note, I have another job interview this Thursday for a local school district. I don't know how much it pays yet, but at this point, it doesn't really matter. I'm broke.
Wish me luck!
I'm telling you, revising sucks rocks. If you read my blog regularly, you know my agent gave me a moderately brutal appraisal of the opening of my second novel, and I've been working on addressing the issues she identified. So far, I'm stuck on the prologue. In her opinion, it needs to be "edgier", and there's too much internal monologue going on. So I've re-written it now FIVE TIMES with no success. One attempt was even to throw away what I'd written altogether, and just keep the basic premise ad write something dark and edgy. Each time, it's been given to my first readers, and come back marked up as unacceptable. Everyone (except my agent) seems to think that my first draft is great the way it is, and that it doesn't need anything done to it. It's been driving me so crazy that I haven't even been able to address the other concerns she gave me, which seem more valid and probably easier to fix.
How do I resolve this? How do I fix something that one person out of seven has told me needs fixing? How do I find a middle ground between keeping myself happy, my first readers happy, and my agent happy? My agent has to be happy, because she has to love my books in order to sell them. But I have to be happy, too, or else why write?
Suffice it to say, I'm starting to grow frustrated with these initial revisions. Again.
On a side note, I have another job interview this Thursday for a local school district. I don't know how much it pays yet, but at this point, it doesn't really matter. I'm broke.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
No matter what you read in any review, including mine, go see this The Last Mimzy.
I just went to this movie with my son (13), neice (16), and brother (43). Let me say from the very beginning, I enjoyed this movie immensely. You may not see that from the review you're about to read, so I just wanted to state it up front. Also be aware, there are SPOILERS ahead, so if you don't want the spoilers, stop reading!
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
SPACE
The movie had several flaws, and I'm going to bash them here, hard.
Number one, the movie is apparently set as a story being told by a teacher in the far, far future. However, the only references to the movie being a story are found at the very beginning, and the very end. That is, by far, the cheesiest and hokiest part of the entire film. It would have been better as a whole to drop those two scenes (although the cinematography in the far future scenes is beautiful, as is the countryside).
Number two, there is a scene toward the late-middle of the movie that introduces a new character played by Michael Clarke Duncan. He plays a Homeland Security director in Seattle. Now, there are some small problems with both the character, and the portrayal of the city of Seattle. First of all, they try to make the city seem... small, I suppose. The Homeland Security folks even make a point of asking why anyone would want to attack Seattle. Umm... huge population? Microsoft? Major corporate centers? That, along with other things, just seemed strange to someone like me, who lives in a town of 10,000. In addition to that, the introduction (and subsequent actions, and worse, INaction) of the Homeland Security folks just serves to make the entire sub plot pointless. They don't really DO anything. And at the end, after all is said and done, Duncan and the Homeland Security folks just... leave.
Number three, while we're shown this semi-interesting subplot about the elementary school teacher of the young male protagonist, it's hardly developed at all. The teacher (Dwight from The Office) has been having dreams for quite some time, and as it turns out, these dreams are directly connected to what's happening with the kids in this story. However... it NEVER EXPLAINS WHY! It never explores it one little bit. Here's this guy having prophetic dreams, and it relates to all this amazing, fantastic stuff going on, but we're never given an explanation as to why.
And, finally... we don't get closure! Or at least, not as much as I'd like. These kids develop interesting abilities and newfound intelligence... is it still there after it's all over? They suddenly have new insights into the way the world works, new ways of thinking. But we don't really know if any of this has had a lasting effect on them at all.
OK... so, all that being said... Go see this movie! The two kids are great, and the story itself, while having a few plot leaps that you have to pretend not to see, is engaging. The special effects are very, very well done, but not overused. They're not sparse, either. In fact, I'd say the quality of the SFX and the amount of effects use meld together to be near perfect.
So... A good movie. I'd give it a B to a B+.
I just went to this movie with my son (13), neice (16), and brother (43). Let me say from the very beginning, I enjoyed this movie immensely. You may not see that from the review you're about to read, so I just wanted to state it up front. Also be aware, there are SPOILERS ahead, so if you don't want the spoilers, stop reading!
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
SPACE
The movie had several flaws, and I'm going to bash them here, hard.
Number one, the movie is apparently set as a story being told by a teacher in the far, far future. However, the only references to the movie being a story are found at the very beginning, and the very end. That is, by far, the cheesiest and hokiest part of the entire film. It would have been better as a whole to drop those two scenes (although the cinematography in the far future scenes is beautiful, as is the countryside).
Number two, there is a scene toward the late-middle of the movie that introduces a new character played by Michael Clarke Duncan. He plays a Homeland Security director in Seattle. Now, there are some small problems with both the character, and the portrayal of the city of Seattle. First of all, they try to make the city seem... small, I suppose. The Homeland Security folks even make a point of asking why anyone would want to attack Seattle. Umm... huge population? Microsoft? Major corporate centers? That, along with other things, just seemed strange to someone like me, who lives in a town of 10,000. In addition to that, the introduction (and subsequent actions, and worse, INaction) of the Homeland Security folks just serves to make the entire sub plot pointless. They don't really DO anything. And at the end, after all is said and done, Duncan and the Homeland Security folks just... leave.
Number three, while we're shown this semi-interesting subplot about the elementary school teacher of the young male protagonist, it's hardly developed at all. The teacher (Dwight from The Office) has been having dreams for quite some time, and as it turns out, these dreams are directly connected to what's happening with the kids in this story. However... it NEVER EXPLAINS WHY! It never explores it one little bit. Here's this guy having prophetic dreams, and it relates to all this amazing, fantastic stuff going on, but we're never given an explanation as to why.
And, finally... we don't get closure! Or at least, not as much as I'd like. These kids develop interesting abilities and newfound intelligence... is it still there after it's all over? They suddenly have new insights into the way the world works, new ways of thinking. But we don't really know if any of this has had a lasting effect on them at all.
OK... so, all that being said... Go see this movie! The two kids are great, and the story itself, while having a few plot leaps that you have to pretend not to see, is engaging. The special effects are very, very well done, but not overused. They're not sparse, either. In fact, I'd say the quality of the SFX and the amount of effects use meld together to be near perfect.
So... A good movie. I'd give it a B to a B+.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Now that's a good blog friend!
I just wanted to start off the day by giving a quick shout out to one of the friends on my MySpace list, Nicole DeNardo. Nicole happened to be at a writer's workshop recently, where she met an editor for a children's/young adult publishing house and shared a table with her. The editor apparently mentioned several times the shortage of good "boy books", and how all she gets is fiction geared toward girls. Nicole gave me the tip, the editor's name and the name of the publishing house. To make long story slightly less long, my agent queried, received positive response, pitched my first book, and the editor liked what she saw and requested the full manuscript. Thanks, Nicole!
That's the kind of thing I'm trying to build here with this blog, with only moderate levels of success. I want a community of friends, fellow writers and aspiring writers, and even fans, who can communicate back and forth and share ideas, tips, and inspiration. Networking and making friends with others in the industry. So, to everyone out there, leave me comments! Send me messages! Leave comments for the other folks who blog around here! Don't leave us hanging.
Now, on to blogging about writing. My agent's comments about my first edit: I meant to say second novel were not as disheartening as one might think. She basically just said there were a few plot leaps in the very beginning that didn't work for her, and that I didn't develop the two introductory characters enough in the first chapter before jumping into a confusing fight scene. I can definitely work with what she had to say, and nothing she said changes the fact that I still think the second book is stronger than the first. Her only complaint was with my opening, and she didn't want to read further until I had addressed those issues, lest they get lost in the shuffle.
Speaking of being lost in the shuffle, my short story work has taken a back seat to revisions on book 2. I'm not likely to make the deadline for a first quarter entry into the Writers of the Future contest at this point. I may be taking too much on… I'm working on book 2, jotting notes for future reference about book 3, trying to write two very different short stories, working on a script for the Comic Book Challenge (speaking of which, any illustrators out there interested in collaborating?), and occasionally outlining/making notes for a new book in a different continuity. Plus, I'm still looking for work and starting to get a bit worried about the financial situation.
So there, in a large nutshell, is where I stand. One last thank you to Nicole, and a request to everyone else to leave comments, send messages, and generally correspond!
That's the kind of thing I'm trying to build here with this blog, with only moderate levels of success. I want a community of friends, fellow writers and aspiring writers, and even fans, who can communicate back and forth and share ideas, tips, and inspiration. Networking and making friends with others in the industry. So, to everyone out there, leave me comments! Send me messages! Leave comments for the other folks who blog around here! Don't leave us hanging.
Now, on to blogging about writing. My agent's comments about my first edit: I meant to say second novel were not as disheartening as one might think. She basically just said there were a few plot leaps in the very beginning that didn't work for her, and that I didn't develop the two introductory characters enough in the first chapter before jumping into a confusing fight scene. I can definitely work with what she had to say, and nothing she said changes the fact that I still think the second book is stronger than the first. Her only complaint was with my opening, and she didn't want to read further until I had addressed those issues, lest they get lost in the shuffle.
Speaking of being lost in the shuffle, my short story work has taken a back seat to revisions on book 2. I'm not likely to make the deadline for a first quarter entry into the Writers of the Future contest at this point. I may be taking too much on… I'm working on book 2, jotting notes for future reference about book 3, trying to write two very different short stories, working on a script for the Comic Book Challenge (speaking of which, any illustrators out there interested in collaborating?), and occasionally outlining/making notes for a new book in a different continuity. Plus, I'm still looking for work and starting to get a bit worried about the financial situation.
So there, in a large nutshell, is where I stand. One last thank you to Nicole, and a request to everyone else to leave comments, send messages, and generally correspond!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Sites of Interest, and a little news
Here are a few sites that might be of interest to those who read my blog:
Write A First Novel
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The World According to Boring John
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Deep Genre
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The Web's Most Humongous Collection of Writing Quotes
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There are quite a few more sites I could post here, and I'll probably do so in the future. These are just ones that I look at regularly.
On a side note, I've received my first two rejections, from Little, Brown and Company, and from Harcourt. Both rejections are due to "too many familiar elements" in the story, as was my very first rejection from Sourcebooks. Basically, there are a couple of series out there already that have a youthful hero traveling to alternate universes. It's frustrating, because the reason there are similar stories out there is because it's POPULAR! And never mind the fact that my novel has far more UNIQUE story elements than it has similarities. What my story shares with theirs is the basic premise of alternate universes accessible from our own, and a young hero. That's it! The meat of my story is about a single father's journey to become closer to his troubled son, and help the boy turn his life around.
I'm not too concerned about it. That makes a grand total of three publishers who've seen my first novel, and three who have rejected it. There are several hundred more to choose from... one of them will get behind it!
Write A First Novel
-
The World According to Boring John
-
Deep Genre
-
The Web's Most Humongous Collection of Writing Quotes
-
There are quite a few more sites I could post here, and I'll probably do so in the future. These are just ones that I look at regularly.
On a side note, I've received my first two rejections, from Little, Brown and Company, and from Harcourt. Both rejections are due to "too many familiar elements" in the story, as was my very first rejection from Sourcebooks. Basically, there are a couple of series out there already that have a youthful hero traveling to alternate universes. It's frustrating, because the reason there are similar stories out there is because it's POPULAR! And never mind the fact that my novel has far more UNIQUE story elements than it has similarities. What my story shares with theirs is the basic premise of alternate universes accessible from our own, and a young hero. That's it! The meat of my story is about a single father's journey to become closer to his troubled son, and help the boy turn his life around.
I'm not too concerned about it. That makes a grand total of three publishers who've seen my first novel, and three who have rejected it. There are several hundred more to choose from... one of them will get behind it!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Comic Book Challenge 2007
So, are any of my readers out there aspiring comic writers or artists? If so, you've probably already heard about this!!
Comic Book Challenge 2007 is on! Platinum Studios has announced that they are accepting submissions for their second annual comic book contest. Think "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" minus the goofy costumes, bad acting, and reality show aspects. Basically, aspiring creators come up with their best comic book pitch and submit it. Fifty semi-finalists will be chosen to go to San Diego in July and give their pitch on live TV to a celebrity panel of industry judges. Three pitches are then chosen to be voted on by the public in an online voting process. The top creator or creative team will then be paid to write and/or illustrate their comic, which will be published as a comic or graphic novel in 2008.
I don't have any details on the submission process right now, but they should be available soon at http://www.comicbookchallenge.com .
I've got about a hundred ideas for submission to the contest. I just need to choose which one to submit! I've also got the small problem of being just about the worst artist in the history of the genre. I can copy fairly well, but I can't do original work. So unless I can find an illustrator who is inspired by my story ideas, I'll be submitting just a story script... which I think will probably lessen my chances.
So, any aspiring comic authors and illustrators out there, there's your shot! Check out the contest, and get your pitch ready! And, as a personal aside, if there are any artists or illustrators out there who'd be interested in collaborating with me on a pitch, get back with me... quick! The fifty semi-finalists will be going to San Diego in late July, so time is running short!
Comic Book Challenge 2007 is on! Platinum Studios has announced that they are accepting submissions for their second annual comic book contest. Think "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" minus the goofy costumes, bad acting, and reality show aspects. Basically, aspiring creators come up with their best comic book pitch and submit it. Fifty semi-finalists will be chosen to go to San Diego in July and give their pitch on live TV to a celebrity panel of industry judges. Three pitches are then chosen to be voted on by the public in an online voting process. The top creator or creative team will then be paid to write and/or illustrate their comic, which will be published as a comic or graphic novel in 2008.
I don't have any details on the submission process right now, but they should be available soon at http://www.comicbookchallenge.com .
I've got about a hundred ideas for submission to the contest. I just need to choose which one to submit! I've also got the small problem of being just about the worst artist in the history of the genre. I can copy fairly well, but I can't do original work. So unless I can find an illustrator who is inspired by my story ideas, I'll be submitting just a story script... which I think will probably lessen my chances.
So, any aspiring comic authors and illustrators out there, there's your shot! Check out the contest, and get your pitch ready! And, as a personal aside, if there are any artists or illustrators out there who'd be interested in collaborating with me on a pitch, get back with me... quick! The fifty semi-finalists will be going to San Diego in late July, so time is running short!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Murdering my Little Darlings
I'm sure many of you are familiar with what the topic of this post actually means. It's a reference to an article I read on SFWA.org by James Patrick Kelly. He's not the first person to make the reference; he merely expanded on the sentiment that has been given by authors for years on the craft of writing. An author has a tendency to fall in love with his or her words, but special attention should be given to revising and "murdering your little darlings".
Basically, what this means is, after you've written a work and had an opportunity to step back from it for a while, it's sometimes helpful to go re-visit it and THEN start making cuts. With growing experience, you will find ways to make the work stronger. In fact, the article gives several examples of things to watch out for that I've found I'm definitely guilty of. Overuse of adverbs and adjectives, overdramatization, unnecessary characters, that sort of thing.
I finished the revisions for my first novel back in January. It's been a month and a half, and I suddenly had the urge to go back and re-visit it for several reasons. One is, I'm obsessed with what my agent has told me about length and word count. Of the publishers who chose not to look at my work after the synopsis and query were sent, a couple specifically said it was because the book was too long for the target market.
So I opened up the file and started reading through it. I already had some ideas for places where it could be trimmed. My opening chapters are rather long, introducing the two main characters and getting to know them. But with the experience I got writing my second novel, I learned how to introduce characters better, get to know them with fewer words, scenes, or drawn-out explanations. The opening took place over three chapters before the fantasy elements of the story even started to develop. So I moved some things around, made some cuts, and changed the opening from taking place over two days to all happening in one. It may take some further tweaking, but with the re-arranging of a few events and the paring down, I believe I've been able to introduce the characters just as strongly, and it all takes place in one chapter. By chapter two, the fantasy elements are beginning to come to the fore. And I cut over five thousand words!
I feel that I can continue this through the rest of the novel. There are several other places in which I have been a tad wordy when it wasn't necessary. There are a few places where scenes can be combined, or possibly just gotten rid of. This is something that I was not able to see when I revised before. And I wouldn't be able to see it now if not for the experience of writing my second novel. I don't really know if it's something I should be doing or not; my agent is already happy with the first novel, and she does have it in some big-name hands right now. But I'm a writer, and typical of writers, I always feel that I can make it better if I just change this word, or that word, and murder my little darlings.
Basically, what this means is, after you've written a work and had an opportunity to step back from it for a while, it's sometimes helpful to go re-visit it and THEN start making cuts. With growing experience, you will find ways to make the work stronger. In fact, the article gives several examples of things to watch out for that I've found I'm definitely guilty of. Overuse of adverbs and adjectives, overdramatization, unnecessary characters, that sort of thing.
I finished the revisions for my first novel back in January. It's been a month and a half, and I suddenly had the urge to go back and re-visit it for several reasons. One is, I'm obsessed with what my agent has told me about length and word count. Of the publishers who chose not to look at my work after the synopsis and query were sent, a couple specifically said it was because the book was too long for the target market.
So I opened up the file and started reading through it. I already had some ideas for places where it could be trimmed. My opening chapters are rather long, introducing the two main characters and getting to know them. But with the experience I got writing my second novel, I learned how to introduce characters better, get to know them with fewer words, scenes, or drawn-out explanations. The opening took place over three chapters before the fantasy elements of the story even started to develop. So I moved some things around, made some cuts, and changed the opening from taking place over two days to all happening in one. It may take some further tweaking, but with the re-arranging of a few events and the paring down, I believe I've been able to introduce the characters just as strongly, and it all takes place in one chapter. By chapter two, the fantasy elements are beginning to come to the fore. And I cut over five thousand words!
I feel that I can continue this through the rest of the novel. There are several other places in which I have been a tad wordy when it wasn't necessary. There are a few places where scenes can be combined, or possibly just gotten rid of. This is something that I was not able to see when I revised before. And I wouldn't be able to see it now if not for the experience of writing my second novel. I don't really know if it's something I should be doing or not; my agent is already happy with the first novel, and she does have it in some big-name hands right now. But I'm a writer, and typical of writers, I always feel that I can make it better if I just change this word, or that word, and murder my little darlings.
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